Time Travelling Hobo
by hms5375
Summary: I started this thinking that Kikyo and Hojo would make an interesting couple, then thought about Hojo finally getting the hint that Kagome is not interested in anything but friendship. I don't really know where this is going, but as long as I am motivated, I might as well keep writing.
1. Chapter 1

"Stay out of the way and safe, Wench!"

Kagome couldn't believe the push that sent her down the well, especially with her hurt ankle. At least she didn't have to worry about falling down into the well and landing harshly, the time portal slowly swallowed her and she found herself in modern day Tokyo once again. She had to fight the urge to go right back to make sure everyone was okay, but it wasa human bandit that had attacked them and she was heading home anyway. She wanted to get more supplies, namely pain medication. While hunting jewel shards, she got injured by a snake demon and acquired a sprained ankle. This made it difficult to get out of the well, hopefully someone would hear her. Souta should just be getting home from school.

Sure enough, there were footsteps right outside of the wellhouse door. "Souta, is that you? Can you hear me?"

The door slowly slid open, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Souta, can you help me? I hurt my ankle and can't get out of the well."

"Higurashi? Is that you?"

Oh crap.

"Hojo! What are you doing here? I was looking for Souta."

"Why are you looking for your brother in an old well?"

"I, well, uhh..."

"Let's get you out of there, then we can talk. I brought some stuff for you." Hojo came towards the edge of the well and reached in to help Kagome out. Hojo was very athletic, but maybe he just wasn't expecting a "sickly" Kagome to weigh as much as she did (muscle is heavy, and she got plenty of exercise running from demons), or maybe his foot slipped in the loose dirt around the well. Regardless of the reason, Kagome found herself falling back into the well, Hojo's hand still tightly in her grasp. It was almost instantly after going through the time slip that Kagome heard the gruff voice of her silver-haired friend.

"Oi, Kagome, I thought I told you to go home! You're hurt, Wench!" When he reached in and grabbed her hand she didn't think twice about reaching out and taking it. Then she remembered that Hojo was with her in the wellhouse.

"Oh, no! He is going to wonder where I went!"

Inuyasha was just about to ask who she was talking about when he caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

"Higurashi?"

Shippo ran over to look in the well, and came face to face to Hojo who had used the vines growing down the sides to climb up from the depths of the well. Shippo backed up quickly, and Hojo hoisted himself over the edge of the well and landed on the grass.

"Where are we? This isn't the well at the shrine! Who are you people? Did you say Higurashi was hurt?"

Miroku, calm as always, came over to the confused young man and bowed to him. "I am the monk Miroku, and these are my friends. Please do not get overly excited, you are going to be fine."

"KAGOME! Why is Hobo here with you?"

"Inuyasha, calm down. He was walking by the wellhouse and came to help me get out of the well with my sprained ankle. We fell back into the well, although I am not sure why or how he came through the well with me. I will get him back right now." Kagome turned to grab Hojo's hand again and jump in the well when Miroku spoke again.

"Wait, Lady Kagome, we have to make sure your secret is safe. Is he a trustworthy friend?"

Both Hojo and Inuyasha turned to Miroku and said at the same time "Lady Kagome?"

Kagome blushed at this attention, and tried to decide the best course af action with Hojo. Could he be trusted with such a big secret? Why did the well let him through in the first place?

Hojo, despite hearing low growls coming from the silver-haired man who he had seen before both at the shrine and at school, walked closer to Inuyasha. He scrutinized him a little and then said, "That's it! I knew there was something different about you! I have never seen you without your head covered before! Why..." and as he trailed off Inuyasha and Kagome both noticed that Hojo was staring at Inuyasha's ears.

Just then Sango and Kirara landed in the clearing. She glanced at the newcomer and then focused on Inuyasha. "Kikyo's soul stealers are getting closer. I noticed them as we were chasing the bandits away."

At the mention of soul stealers, Hojo visibly paled. He wasn't quite sure what to make of his current situation when Inuyasha said in a flat tone "She's here." Hojo looked around expecting to see some monster or spectre, instead he seen a priestess in traditional robes walking toward the group. Her face reminded him of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on who. He noticed that while everyone else took a defensive aproach to this new arrival, the small pointed-eared boy backed away from her. He got closer to the child and got his attention.

"Hey, kid, who is that?"

"That's Kikyo, Kaede's sister. But you haven't met Kaede. Inuyasha used to love her, but I'm not sure he does anymore. He still runs to see her if she sends her soul stealers to get him, but I think it is more a sense of duty now than anything else. It still hurts Kagome everytime he runs off, though. Those two never talk about their feelings but its obvious they like each other."

"Oh, well... She reminds me of someone, but I just can't think of who it is."

"Probably Kagome, she is Kikyo's reincarnation after all. I think Kagome should have come first, they would be better off that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Kikyo and Inuyasha fell in love, but Kikyo couldn't accept him as a half-demon. They were going to use the sacred Shikon Jewel that Kikyo was guarding to turn Inuyasha human so they could be together. But we all know he wouldn't have been happy. If you could see him on his human nights it pretty obvious he hates being human. Because they really didn't trust each other, Naraku was able to use that against them and kill Kikyo and almost kill Inuyasha."

"Kill her? She is standing right there, so he didn't kill her..."

"She is made from graveyard soil and ashes, an evil witch made her a new body but her soul was already in Kagome. The witch made it so Kikyo could steal some of her soul back from Kagome. Kikyo still tries to get the rest of it back from time to time, though she hasn't tried in a while. Come to think of it, she hasn't tried to take Inuyasha to hell with her in a while, either. That is why I think it would have been better if Kagome came first, she accepts Inuyasha for who he is. Do you think Kikyo would have fit in in your time? There are no demons for her to disapprove of, are there? Would you have liked Kikyo as well as Kagome? You are human, you wouldn't have had to change for her. I have heard Inuyasha talk about you a few times, he won't admit it, but he is very jealous of you. He is jealous of just about every man who gets too close to Kagome. Just wait until Koga shows up, you'll see what I mean!"

Suddenly, Inuyasha had Shippo by the tail. "What are you talkin' about that flea bag wolf for, runt?"

Hojo unknowingly saved Shippo from a few bonks on the head by speaking up at that moment.

"Is Kagome really her reincarnation?"

Inuyasha whipped around, seemingly ready to say something to Hojo, then he put Shippo down and turned to walk away growling out a "Don't worry about it" to Hojo.

When Hojo and Shippo went to join the rest of the group, they were discussing what to do next. Sango, who hadn't been introduced to Hojo, introduced herself and Kirara. Kirara was still in her larger form, and Hojo looked terrified. Kirara shrunk down to her kitten size and jumped up onto Hojo's shoulder, licking his cheek. He warily scratched her head, then asked Sango what was going on. Sango informed him that they had to get him back to his own time, but they needed to make sure that he was not going to cause trouble for Kagome. They could hear Kagome and Inuyasha arguing in the distance, then a loud "SIT!" and the ground shook. Shippo looked up at Hojo's wide eyes and said, "That happens all the time."

Kagome came hobbling over to Hojo, Hojo immediately reaching for her to help her walk on the sprained ankle like the gentleman that he is. They could hear a muffled "Get your hands off of her!" from the crater the half-demon was currently occupying. Kagome just sighed angrily and turned Hojo towards the well.

"Hojo, I am going to take you back through the well, if you can help me into my house and off of this ankle we really need to talk."

Hojo just nodded in agreement and helped Kagome to the edge of the well. She could see the doubt on his face about blindly jumping into a very deep hole, but she assured him that it was easier than it looked and would be painless. He closed his eyes and they jumped at the same time, which was when Inuyasha was able to get out of his crater and yell out "KAGOME!" and start running towards the well.

When a very irate Inuyasha made it to the well and looked down into it, he heard a groan and Kagome saying, "That's not how it is supposed to work..." He jumped to grab them out of the well, but was surrounded by the well's magic before he could reach them. When he got to the other side, he had to wonder why he was allowed through and Kagome, least of all, was not. He jumped back through and they were still there in the bottom of the well. He grabbed them and with one under each arm jumped back up out of the well. When he released them, Hojo looked at him with almost the same admiration that Souta does, and said, "Wow, you are really strong!"

"Feh, that's nothin', Kagome! Why couldn't you go through the well?"

"I don't know, maybe because Hojo was with me, but that doesn't make any sense since that is how he got here in the first place. Let me try going through without him and then I'll come back and we will try again."

"Don't be stupid, Wench! You can't keep jumping with that ankle of yours! I'll take him back then we will try to figure out what is going on with you."

Kagome caught a look that she didn't really like when Inuyasha said that he was going with Hojo alone, and that would keep her from talking to him before he was back in the modern era. "No, Inuyasha, can you take us both? I really need to talk to him before we just set him free in my time. I am sure he has a lot of questions. I would feel better about this situation if I could talk to him, or we could talk to him together. That way if I don't have an answer to one of his questions you might."

Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a second, then huffed. "Alright, let's go. But you need to be on my back so you don't do more damage to your ankle."

Hojo noticed the way her face lit up when Inuyasha gave in, and Kagome looked way to comfortable on the half-demon's back, like it was as familiar to her as riding her bike. All those times that he had asked Kagome to go out with him, and the polite way she almost always turned him down started flashing through his mind. The few times that he did get her to agree, it was when her friends were there and now he realized that they said yes more than Kagome did. Also during their few dates, he did seem to remember feeling like he was being followed...

With Kagome securely in place ("her place", he couldn't help thinking) on his back, Inuyasha grabbed Hojo the same way he did when he got him out of the well, like a sack of rice under one arm. He jumped in the well and felt the magic hit him, then he felt Kagome and Hojo getting lighter. By the time he landed in the wellhouse at the shrine, Kagome and Hojo were no where to be found.

"KAGOME! ARGHH!"

Kagome felt Inuyasha disappear. She wasn't sure if Hojo would notice or not, because he had only gone through the well once, so wouldn't really know what to expect. As soon as the magic faded she didn't even have to look up to know she wasn't on her side of the well. It was barely a second later that Inuyasha came back, not very happy. "What is going on? Kagome! Why are you not going through the well?!"

Hojo just could not keep quiet at the half-demon's outburst. "You can't take it out on her that this isn't working correctly, she obviously didn't do anything to make it not work."

Inuyasha turned and growled at the teen, but before he could say anything, Kagome shouted out "I don't know, Inuyasha!" It was at this point he thought he caught a scent of tears. "It has always worked before!"

Shippo looked down from the top of the well and said, very innocently "Unless you don't have any jewel shards, Kagome."

Inuyasha's and Kagome's eyes locked, then Kagome said "But I just came through the well with Hojo not twenty minutes before I tried to go back through. We stayed right here, and besides, they are still on the chain around..." At this point she was trying to retrieve said chain when she came up empty handed.

Miroku spoke up. "Kagome, is it possible that the chain broke when you and Hojo fell into the well? Shippo, jump in and try to find the bottle in the bottom of the well."

Kagome looked dazed. "I don't think so, I didn't feel any tug on the chain, nothing that would make it break. The farthest I have gone from the well is when we were talking to Kikyo, so if it did break they have to be right here somewhere."

Sango took a quick intake of breath and had a worried look on her face. Inuyasha turned to her. "Spit it out Sango, what are you thinking?"

"This wouldn't be the first time that Kikyo stole the jewel shards from Kagome..."

Before she could finish she was cut off by a feral snarl from Inuyasha, but he was cut off by Hojo. "I thought it was rather odd, from what the kid told me, it didn't seem like Kagome and Kikyo got along too well."

Inuyasha then turned to him and growled out "Spit it out, Hoho."

"Kikyo got very close to Kagome, after those serpent things were flying around Kagome's head. I kept thinking how I wouldn't want to be too close to those things."

Kagome looked up wide-eyed, "That's right! They were getting really close to me and she came over and told them that she wasn't going to take my soul... today. Then she put her hand on my shoulder, I thought it was just a kind gesture but it was very close to my shirt collar."

Inuyasha looked around at everyone very annoyed. Then stared at Hojo. "Listen Hozo, you can't come here and just think that you know everything. Up until today, you thought you knew that Kagome was missing school 'cause she was sick. You thought you knew that demons were just legends. You thought you knew..."

"Inuyasha, sit boy!"

"OOHF"

Shippo: "And we thought you knew when to shut up."

Inuyasha: "Shippo, when I get up, I am going to kick your..."

Shippo: "Kagome! Say it again! Hurry! Say it! Oh no! Here he comes! AHHHhhhhhh..."

Sango watched Inuyasha chase Shippo and wondered why Kagome wasn't defending the kit as she was accustomed to doing. When they were out of sight, she turned to ask the girl and noticed the smirk on her face. Kagome noticed Sango looking at her. "What? Shippo is getting better at getting away from Inuyasha, and do you really think we would be able to discuss an action plan, especially against Kikyo, with Inuyasha here? Let's go to Keade's and see what we can come up with."

Hojo just quietly followed the group down a path, soon coming to a primitive looking village. It dawned on him that he still had no idea where they were. "Kagome, I didn't get the chance to ask yet, but where exactly are we?"

"Oh, sorry Hojo, I wasn't thinking about it, but I will explain when we get to Kaede's. I don't know how much time we have until Inuyasha and Shippo get back."

"Shippo is going to be alright, isn't he? I mean he is just a kid and Inuyasha is unusually strong."

Miroku spoke up with a small smile on his face. "I take it there aren't any kitsunes where you come from. Shippo can take care of himself. He may look like an innocent, young child, but demons age different than humans. He is older than you and I combined and he has a lot of... resources. Inuyasha was younger than that when his mother died and he was left on his own and he made it just fine without all of Shippo's kitsune tricks."

Hojo just looked back towards the way the two had run off and then continued to follow the rest to a small hut. As they were getting close, Kaede came out of the hut with a water bucket in her hand. She looked up and greeted the group, then noticed it's newest member. "And who have we here? My, your strange clothes make me think that like young Kagome, you are not from around here. Please, everyone go on in and make yourselves comfortable, I was just getting some water for tea. I will be back shortly. There is some soup by the fire."

Sango spoke quietly to Miroku, then reached for Kaede's bucket. "I will go and get you some water, Kaede, they may need your opinion our the current situation."

Unfortunately, she should have stepped away from Miroku faster. As the others were heading into the hut there was a loud slap and a shout of "Pervert!" that made Hojo jump. Kagome and Kaede just shook their heads. 


	2. Chapter 2

Miroku came in seconds later, sporting the familiar handprint and odd smile. Hojo looked at him with confusion, Miroku sat down, sighed, and said quietly "It is always worth it." Hojo leaned toward Kagome and whispered "What was worth it?" Before Kagome had the chance to answer, Inuyasha rushed in angrily and said "He grabbed her ass like he always does, pervert seems to like the pain."

Hojo's cheeks reddened. He accepted the bowl of soup from Kaede with a small smile, a little nervous being in such a small place with such a seemingly volatile Inuyasha. He wondered how Kagome didn't end up in the hospital for real just by staying so close to him. Then he got thinking, maybe it isn't all made up. What if she did end up in the hospital? He obviously had a temper, and he knows now that Kagome is missing school because she comes here (wherever here is), but how often is she here? The whole time she is missing school, or is some of that time spent at home recovering from being around her aggressive "friend"? He tried to think if she was ever in pain the few times he had seen her at school. When did her absences start, anyway? She wasn't always missing a lot of school, but how long had it been?

"Hey, Hopo! Are you deaf now, or just stupid?"

Hojo jumped at the shout, and was about to correct the (man, demon, demon-man, whatever he was) about what his actual name was because Inuyasha had tried a few times and hadn't gotten it right yet, when Kagome stood up and got right in the face of danger! His heart swelled with pride at her courage, then his chivalry tried to kick in and he intended to take her place in the situation when the fox kit was on his shoulder. "Might as well sit down, they could go on like this all night." As Inuyasha scoffed and walked out of the hut, Kagome followed closely behind. The argument just continued on.

"But, what if he hurts her? I seen the way he chased after you! Everyone assured me that you would be okay because you had your own ways of getting away from him, but what does Kagome have? Shouldn't we see if she is okay?"

Kaede chuckled lightly, "Kagome is much safer from him than anyone else is. I am sure I felt the ground shake earlier, surely you have seen the effects of the subjugation beads? Don't worry, Inuyasha may be brash and rough around the edges, but the last thing he would do is bring harm to dear Kagome."

"Yeah, and if he tried, she could just purify him!" Hojo had actually forgotten that Shippo was on his shoulder, and his shout startled him and sent Shippo tumbling to the floor.

"Purify him? What do you mean, according to legends priests and priestesses are the only ones with power to purify demons. Does Kagome have some sort of weapon blessed by one?"

"No, child," Kaede responded, "don't let Kagome's youth and innocence deceive ye, she is one of the most powerful priestesses I have ever met. If only her training had started earlier. When she came here, the sacred Shikon Jewel was in her body. At first I thought that was where her power came from, but even after Mistress Centipede ripped the jewel from her, her power is still quite formidable. Why it was dormant until her fifteenth birthday is still a mystery, but once released it just seems to get stronger with time. If she could only learn how to control it better as fast as it develops..."

Hojo was once again in shock. "Jewel... Centipede... Ripped!"

Sango returned with the water, and coming into the hut asked "What are they arguing about now?" Like it was the most natural thing in the world to see them argue. Hojo was sure that these people cared for Kagome as much as he did, but how could they be so calm when she was in danger!

"Don't worry Sango, you know how Inuyasha gets when there is another male around Kagome. He is just venting his jealousy with anger, like when Koga is around. It will be good for them to vent it outside for a while, this way we can eat our soup and drink our tea in peace." Miroku gladly accepted the bowl that Kaede had just refilled for him. Sango noticed that Hojo had not eaten any of his soup, and they he looked more than a little concerned and very overwhelmed by the whole situation. She put a hand on his shoulder gently, and assured him that everything would be fine. They all took turns explaining that this was just the way Inuyasha and Kagome normally interacted. Then Kaede, deeming Hojo trustworthy, recanted the tale of how Kagome came to know Inuyasha. As the tale got to where the others joined the group, they added there own stories as well. Hojo gasped in a few places, but he began to better understand why no one was worried about the argument that was currently taking place. Then he noticed that he could no longer hear any arguing outside. He got up, but when Kaede gave him a look, stated that he just needed some fresh air to clear his mind.

He walked out of the hut and just stood in front of the door for a moment, then looked around and spotted Inuyasha's red clothing. He noticed that Kagome was sitting next to him on a fence. She certainly didn't act afraid, or in pain, or even sad sitting next to him. The argument must have died down without violence, either from Inuyasha or from Kagome's use of the beads. They looked like they were content in each others presence, and Hojo wondered if she was or would ever be that content next to him. He felt this emptiness creep over him. For years, he was sure that Higurashi was the one for him, but now he can see that there is no hope for him ever being by her side as anything more than a friend. Seeing enough to put his mind at ease about Kagome's safety, he turned and re-entered the hut.

Upon sitting in his previous spot, he was handed a steaming cup of tea. As he was taking his first sip, Kagome walked into the hut with Inuyasha right behind her. They sat down like it was just a normal day and ate a bowl of soup (Inuyasha slurped down two) and each had a cup of tea. When they were done, Kagome started to speak.

"Hojo, I am sorry you are stuck here with us. When I first came here I wasn't sure how to get home for the first three days, but at least the well let me back through. I don't know how I can carry stuff through the well but Inuyasha can't. There are alot of things about the well we don't know, like when or if it is ever going to stop working. We know that right now it is, because Inuyasha can still get through. After tea, Inuyasha is going to go through and tell my family what has happened. Mama can call your house and tell them that you are helping me with studying or homework. That would get us through today, and give us some time to try to figure out a solution."

Hojo smile slightly, "That should be fairly believable, I told them when I left that I was heading to your house, anyway. Which reminds me..." Hojo took a small fabric wrapped package out of his pocket, while holding it in his hand he started to frown. "This is an herb that helps with rheumatism, but I guess you really don't need it, do you?"

Kagome was about to thank him for being concerned, even though she really didn't need all the gifts that he had brought her, when Kaede spoke up. "Oh, may I see that young man?"

Hojo happily handed it over, at least someone would get some use out of it.

Kagome took that moment to apologize to Hojo, she should have done something to keep him from wasting time and money on her for her fake illnesses. She tried to make him feel better by saying that everything he gave to her was used by someone, mostly either her grandfather or Kaede. Kaede broke in to say that this was something that she was running out of and she wasn't sure where she would get more because it was getting harder and harder to find. Hojo seemed to brighten up at her praise. Inuyasha, however, seemed to be getting impatient. "Well, I am going to go now so we can figure this crap out as soon as I get back. Shippo, come here."

The kit acted a little nervous, but then couldn't remember what he could possibly be in trouble for so he followed the half-demon out of the hut. When they got outside, Inuyasha grabbed him suddenly and looked the fox in the eyes. "You watch him and make sure he keeps his hands off of Kagome, got it? Its bad enough when that mangy wolf comes around, but now I have this bastard to watch out for, too."

He dropped Shippo and stomped off towards the well.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome went to get up and pain shot through her ankle. "Ow! Inuyasha was helping me get around earlier, I hope he gets back soon."

Kaede got up and walked over to the girl, "Let me see that ankle, I forgot that you didn't get a chance to have it looked at at home. Is it still swollen?"

Hojo turned towards them, "Kagome, I never did ask how you hurt your ankle."

Kagome explained to him that while they were looking for a sacred jewel shard, they came across a particularly nasty snake demon. The snake was going to bite Inuyasha, so Kagome shouted and fired an arrow to get the snake's attention. Unfortunately, she got the snake's attention a little too well and when she turned to run she tripped. Inuyasha killed the snake demon with his blades of blood and carried Kagome back to the village so she could go home and rest her ankle. Just as they had made it to the well they were attacked by bandits, and that is when she was pushed into the well for "safety" and met Hojo on the other side.

"Kagome! You were supposed to get me some more lollipops when you went home! We should have asked Inuyasha to get them while he was there!" Shippo practically started to cry.

Hojo reached into his pocket, and held his hand out to the young fox. "I don't have any lollipops, but will some bubble gum do?"

Shippo quieted down then looked at the gum in Hojo's hand, then back up to Hojo's face. He reached out and took the gum and with one of the biggest smiles that Hojo had ever seen, said happily "I don't care what Inuyasha says about ya, I think you're alright!"

After some embarrassed apologies for Shippo's (and apparently Inuyasha's) behavior, Kagome stood with difficulty and when Hojo started to rise to help her, Kagome called to Sango. "Sango, can you help me? I need to take a walk, I, uh, had to much tea."

With a dusting of red on his cheeks, Hojo sat back down and Sango helped Kagome, with her recently wrapped ankle, leave the hut. As soon as they were outside the questioning started. Sango wanted to know if Kagome liked Hojo ("because he obviously likes you"), how did that affect her relationship with Inuyasha, how long have they known each other, etc. Kagome finally got Sango to stop with the third degree, and came clean about her thoughts on the Hojo situation. She clarified that she liked Hojo only as a friend and try as she might from time to time she could see him as nothing more. She felt sorry for Hojo, because she knows how it feels to love someone that doesn't love you back and compared his feelings for her/her feelings for Inuyasha to her feelings for Inuyasha/Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo. She explained how most of the time it was her friends that pushed the two together, and she just wasn't assertive enough to tell them to mind their own business. Once they were ready to go back to the hut, they started brainstorming about how to get Hojo back through the well as quickly as possible. They decided that they would just have to find a jewel shard as quickly as they could. They were getting back in their seats inside the hut when Kagome thought she might have found a solution.

Sango was mentioning that there was no guarantee when they would find a jewel shard. "Sometimes we go weeks or even months before we are able to find one. We really don't have that long before Hojo's parents start to worry about him."

Kagome looked pensive, then looked up suddenly. "What if I ask Koga to jump down the well with us? Will his jewel shards be enough to get us through?"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

They all looked to the door to see Inuyasha standing there, Kaede was the only one to notice the red rims around his eyes. She thought that was quite interesting.

"KAGOME! Why would you even be thinking about taking that flea-bitten wolf down the well! We can get a jewel shard without his help, the only time we need to be around him is when we take his jewel shards to complete the jewel! I'm not gone for ten minutes and when I come back your sittin' here all cozy with Hoko and talkin' about Koga! Was that why you wanted me to go through the well? Need some time alone with your boyfriends, did ya?"

"Inuyasha, don't make me say 'it'! If you come in and calm down, we can all figure this out together. Now, did Mama make the call, and if so what did Hojo's parents say?"

It took a few sentences for Inuyasha to stop growling while he talked, but they were able to understand that Mama made the call, and Hojo's parents had no problem with Hojo staying at the shrine for as long as it took to help Kagome with her homework. Mama had agreed that if it was late, since there was no school the next day, Hojo could spend the night and sleep in Souta's room for the night. The smirk on Inuyasha's face was impossible to miss when he mumbled that he slept in Kagome's room when he spent the night. The discussion returned to the matter of the needed jewel shard. Inuyasha suggested that, if in fact it was Kikyo that took them, they should just go find her to get them back. Kagome took the chance to ask if it was so he could have some time with his girlfriend. This started another argument, which ended in a sit after Kagome suggested that if she was not allowed to take Koga down the well she would ask him to borrow a jewel shard for the purpose of getting Hojo home. When Inuyasha said that the mangy wolf wouldn't willingly give up one of his shards, Kagome said that he would probably do just about anything to make his woman happy. While Inuyasha was still held down by the beads, Kagome turned to Hojo and explained that Koga is looking for Naraku as well, and there would be a good chance that even if they went to his territory they may not find him there. So actively seeking out Koga wasn't a sure shot for a jewel shard, either. But she didn't want him to give up hope, it was her fault that he was in this mess and she was determined to fix it. For a while no one could agree on anything, but it was Hojo that spoke up.

"Just sitting here isn't going to accomplish anything, certainly not going to get a jewel shard. If we need to find one, we need to get out of this village. How have you found them in the past?"

"Kagome can sense them if we are close enough, we usually walk until we hear of one or Kagome senses one." Shippo blurted out while chewing his gum. Then he blew a really big bubble, proud of himself. Inuyasha popped it and it stuck to Shippo's face. "Kagome! Inuyasha is being mean to me!"

They decided that they were going to go North, they hadn't been that way in a while. If they didn't hear of any or find any jewel shards by noon the next day, they would look for Koga (Inuyasha agreed to this only to get Kagome moving, there was no way she was jumping through that well with Hoxo AND Koga).

Their mode of transportation was an issue. They didn't want to waste time walking "like slow humans", but Hojo refused to be left in the village. That put three passengers on Kirara. Inuyasha said that was no good. Miroku, with a smirk, suggested Kagome ride on Kirara with Sango and himself because she was light, and that Inuyasha carry Hojo. Both Inuyasha and Hojo had objections. Finally it was Shippo who offered to do what he could by taking one passenger. Sango compromised and said she would go with Shippo (Miroku looked a little sad at this and his hand twitched, this is exactly why Sango said she would go with Shippo and without Miroku). Hojo had seen Kirara in her larger form before, but when Shippo got out his leaf and popped into a large pink ball the look on Hojo's face could only be described as "What did I get myself into?"


	4. Chapter 4

Why wouldn't there be seatbelts on giant, flying cats with burning feet? Why? There wasn't even a saddle! The only thing that Hojo had to hold on to, as a matter of fact, was Miroku. And he was holding onto him so tight, that pretty soon Miroku wouldn't be able to feel his feet. He tried to make the suggestion that Hojo take the less intense ride, and go with Shippo, but he couldn't get enough air in his lungs to speak loud enough for anyone to hear him. Everytime he tried to get Kirara's attention, it seemed that the ride got more intense and Hojo held on to him even tighter. He was starting to believe that everyone must have planned this, that this was somehow payback for all the perverted or improper things he had done since joining the group. After about half an hour, Hojo did seem to relax a little, but Kirara made sure to keep the trip interesting. For whose benefit, Miroku wasn't really sure. Inuyasha and Kagome were too far ahead to notice Miroku's suffering, but Sango and Shippo had a front row seat to the show. And they were enjoying it immensely. Every time Miroku looked their way, they had to make sure he didn't catch them looking. If he did, he would want to get their attention and stop so they could redo their travel arrangements.

After about two hours on the road, Inuyasha stopped suddenly. So suddenly that had he not had a firm grip on her thighs (a little higher on them than he usually did, just in case Hono might notice) Kagome would have flew right over his head. She watched him stand completely still and sniff, and his ears twitch on his head. The others landed next to them, and Miroku took the moment to first get a good lungul of air as soon as Hojo let go of him, then opened his mouth to express his unhappiness. Before he could make a sound, Inuyasha held a hand up to make them all stay quiet and still. Without turning to face any of them, he spoke in a low but deadly serious voice.

"I smell smoke. And blood. Lots of blood."

The others new to keep their heads in this kind of situation, but Hojo was very close to panicking. "Whose blood? Where..."

Inuyasha whipped around lightning fast and got right in Hojo's face. He spoke in a low, raspy snarl that sent chills through Hojo. "Unless you want it to be yours, you need to keep your mouth shut. You reek of fear! Every demon in the area will be on us if you don't grow some balls!"

At this point, Kirara was staring through the trees and had started a low, steady, rumbling growl. Kagome felt sorry for Hojo, and went over to him placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. He just stared at her, his face pale and expressionless. He finally found the ability to whisper to her. "How often do you deal with this? Why would you deal with this? Is high school really that bad that you would rather be here, facing death every day?"

She put her finger to her lips, telling him that he needed to be quiet, and leaned close to his ear. "We will talk when this is over. Everything will be fine, I promise."

She turned to look in the direction everyone else was looking. Inuyasha suddenly jumped into a tall tree, where he was hidden from their sight by the branches. It seemed like only a few seconds later he was back on the ground. He spoke in a quiet but commanding tone. "There is a village, I can still hear some screaming, everyone stay here." Then he turned and started to jump back into the trees when he felt a hand on his arm.

"We are going with you, Inuyasha. Let me on your back and let's not waste time."

Knowing that even a second could mean another life, he didn't argue. They were off in a flash, and before he knew it Hojo was alone on the path. Or so he thought.

"You do not belong here."

It was a simple statement, and he recognized that voice. "Kikyo?"

"I seen you at the well, with my reincarnation. You, like her, do not belong here." How could she speak like that, like there was no emotion, no personality in her at all? But then Hojo remembered that she was dead. He wasn't sure what to do, should he trust her? It wasn't really like he could do anything at the moment, he was worried about Kagome and the others. Mostly Kagome. He was still in shock, couldn't think, couldn't concentrate. Would she hurt him? She was capable of it, he was sure of that. But would she? Did she have a reason to? Did she need a reason?

"I, uh, it was an accident. The well... I fell... Without a shard, I can't go back home. I really want to go home..." He realized he was rambling, but he couldn't help it.

"Are you related to her? You don't look like her. You have strange clothes like she does."

"No, I was bringing her something, I had no idea about this place. I heard a sound in the wellhouse while I was walking by and I went to see what it was. We are looking for a jewel shard so I can go back home. ... Should I be telling you this?"

"No matter. I am not here for you. I felt an aura and sensed trouble. I came to see what it was but it seems Inuyasha and the others are already taking care of it."

"OH! Inuyasha said there was blood! Smoke and blood! Then they just took off! They left me here, just left me, alone..."

Kikyo may have been dead, but she was still a priestess. And this person needed help, some one to offer comfort. "As they should have, for your safety. They can all fight, even my reincarnation- clumsy as she is, can be useful in a battle. You seem to have no skills to offer, and would be in the way. Kagome nearly got Inuyasha killed many times in the past because he had to focus on protecting her rather than himself. And she seems to attract trouble so, just look at the way she broke the jewel. All this searching for shards when it was whole until she interfered."

There was a loud shout, it was words and it was Inuyasha's voice but Hojo couldn't make out what the words were. Then he thought he caught a glimpse of... Was that the boomerang that Sango carried? Yep, pretty sure it is. It seemed like the battle was getting closer, and this made Hojo nervous.

"The demon is coming this way because the smell of you fear lures it. It is a feral demon and it is probably just instinct that drives it to seek out the weak, even when it is running from the strong. Inuyasha's group is quite capable, you have nothing to be afraid of. If it does seem to get too close, just keep retreating down the path slowly. I sense no other demons in the area. If there are some survivors in the village, it is best to lure the demon out of it. Maybe using you as bait was the plan all along."

Hojo, shocked, turned to Kikyo. Kikyo was no longer there. She was gone, and after a shout (which was close enough now for him to understand: Wind Scar) and a loud rumble, there were a bunch of trees gone as well. Off to the right about 50 feet into the trees there was now a large clearing. Hojo's eyes followed the clearing to where it started and there, with the biggest sword he had ever seen, was Inuyasha.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry, I tried to get a chapter out yesterday before work, but didn't have the time. I also tried to write last night in bed, but Joe couldn't sleep and wouldn't shut the TV off._

He was sure that the battle was over, the demon gone. He found himself walking towards Inuyasha without even thinking about it. Inuyasha met him halfway. Hojo noticed that when the sword was put back into the sheath, it returned to the rusty, old sword that Inuyasha always carried. Inuyasha stopped, sniffed the air, ears twitching. Then he walked over to where Hojo was originally standing. "Kikyo." He walked back to where he left Hojo, and sniffed again. Not smelling Kikyo on Hojo, he spoke with gritted teeth. "Was she here? I smell her."

Hojo swallowed, he couldn't help feeling that he had done something wrong. It almost felt like he had betrayed Inuyasha somehow. And the worst part: Inuyasha knew. "She said she sensed something, came to check it out. Told me that you guys would take care of it, and keep me safe... Even though you left me standing alone on the path. And she told me that I didn't belong here, just like Kagome."

Inuyasha looked away, head down. He was quiet for moment, then spoke without looking up. "Kagome is in the village, helping out. There are a lot of wounded. There are also a lot of dead to bury. I am sure they would accept help, if you want to."

Hojo just nodded, then followed the half-demon down the path. When they got to the village, Hojo froze in place and could only stare. Never had he seen anything like this. He was used to flashing lights at a car accident, ambulances helping wounded. This was completely different than anything you would see in Tokyo. Just where did the well lead? He had his suspicions that it was a different time, and this only reinforced that theory. There was no help a phone call away, the only thing these people could depend on was each other. He noticed Sango and Kagome helping with the wounded. Miroku had a shovel in his hand and was currently knelt in prayer in front of a fresh mound of dirt. He heard laughter off to the left, and seen Shippo playing with a bunch of children who were all covered in dirt and soot. Since most of the survivors were women and children, Hojo figured that he should help Miroku put the dead to rest. He was only mildly surprised to see that Inuyasha had just picked up a shovel and started to dig. Legends said that demons were heartless, bloodthirsty, and hated humans. Could all the legends be wrong? Or is it because he was half human that Inuyasha showed so much compassion? But, Hojo thought, he is half human which means that a demon and a human must have... gotten along, right? His thoughts were taking a darker turn, maybe that is why Inuyasha is so conflicted? Was he the product of a demon's conquest? Inuyasha didn't talk about his parents, at all. Where are they now? He was jerked out of his thoughts as two teenage boys came over. They told him that was deep enough and that was when he noticed they carried a linen-wrapped body. How long had he been digging, with his mind racing?

It was well after sunset when all the dead were buried and blessed. Besides a few drinks of water from a bucket a ten year old girl carried around, they had had nothing to eat or drink. Hojo was relieved when Inuyasha and Miroku came over to him and told him it was time to make camp for the night. There weren't enough buildings standing for them to sleep inside, so they gathered around a fire in a small clearing. Hojo was amazed at all the stuff Kagome seemed able to fit in that yellow backpack. She seemed genuinely upset that she didn't have any food, but explained it was because she wasn't able to restock on the other side of the well. Hojo took this opportunity to get some information on where they were. Kagome explained that the well was in the same spot, just Tokyo hadn't been built yet. They were 500 years in the past. The shrine in Keade's village would eventually become the shrine she called home.

A few women came around with some food, they said they didn't have much but insisted that the group eat. They would not take no for an answer. Hojo recognized some of the food, other stuff just looked like they threw together whatever they could to make enough food to get all of the survivors taken care of. The young children had all been kept occupied by Shippo's tricks so they didn't focus solely on the chaos around them, and after getting their bellies full were going to sleep. The more he was with the group, the more he noticed Kagome's devotion to Inuyasha. And Inuyasha's devotion to Kagome, even though the half-demon tried to hide it through gruffness. He couldn't halp but return to his thoughts from earlier. How did Inuyasha come to be? He hoped that it was a loving relationship, but with his upbringing and the beliefs about demons that were instilled upon him since birth he couldn't help the darker thoughts that crept into his mind. He wondered who the best person to ask was, it couldn't be Kagome or Inuyasha. He didn't want to upset or offend anyone, this small group of friends were the only protection he had from the strange world he found himself in. He looked over and seen the fox blowing bubbles with the gum Hojo had given him earlier. He could see that Shippo was tired, and thought that the kit had been his best source of information so far.

He approached the kid carefully, trying not to tip anyone off of his curiosity. He sat down next to Shippo and asked him if he had anymore of the gum left, he could go for a piece if Shippo didn't mind. "I could use something that reminds me of home right now" he explained. Shippo smiled brightly, and said, "Sure, I haven't had a lot of time to chew any today. It is good we got here when we did or the whole village would have been gone. Apparently a hunting party stumbled upon that demon and it just went crazy."

Okay, he could use this angle to his advantage. "Where I come from, well, Kagome and I, all demons are portrayed that way. How come you and Inuyasha are so different?"

"Don't forget Kirara, she's a demon, too. There are a lot of demons that are mean, that is why we are searching for Naraku. If we don't kill him soon, Miroku will die like his father and grandfather did. But there are mean people, but nice ones, too. It is the same with demons. Most try to avoid contact with humans, not because they hate them, just because humans fear demons and react badly when seeing one."

"So, if they generally don't get along, how did Inuyasha's parents meet?"

"I don't know, he doesn't talk about them much. I know they loved each other, though. Inutaisho lost his life trying to protect Izayoi, it was a human that killed him. He was already weak from fighting a dragon, though. He knew the fight would most likely kill him, but he loved her so much he went to save her anyway. He died the night Inuyasha was born, so Inuyasha never got to know him."

Just as he got Shippo on the subject he wanted him on, and was about to find out whatever he could, there was an ominous shadow that fell over him blocking out the light from the fire. He looked up, and there stood Inuyasha with his hands in his sleeves and his bangs covering his eyes.

"A little nosy, aren't ya?"

Busted.

"I'm sorry, I am just trying to pass the time. I meant no disrespect. This is just so much different than what I am used to. Wasn't Kagome curious when she got here?" That's it, use Kagome as your defense. Everyone obviously adores her, so it should lighten the mood, right?

"Feh. Get some sleep, we leave early."


	6. Chapter 6

Hojo was given Kagome's sleeping bag, even though he tried his best to protest. She should use it, he could sleep on the ground. It's not like he hasn't ever been camping before. She insisted, though, and said that with her ankle wrapped she didn't think she would get a lot of sleep anyway. Inuyasha, passing by, mumbled "Might as well give in to the wench, she can be persistent." Hojo couldn't sleep, either. Not that he was uncomfortable, the ground he was on was fairly soft with no tree roots under him like you would encounter on a camping trip in the woods. There was just way too much going through his mind. How many times had Kagome been in the path of a raging demon? How did her mother let her come here, knowing what she faced (did she really know?) every time she jumped into that well? He noticed that Inuyasha had perched on the roof of the highest building still left standing, like he was on the lookout for something. Hojo noticed Kagome limping toward him, but she must have thought that he was asleep. She hobbled over to the base of Inuyasha's building instead. He heard a muffled conversation that he couldn't make out, then Inuyasha jumped down to grab Kagome and they both sat side by side on the roof with Kagome's sprained ankle dangling over the side. The muffled conversation continued for quite some time. Then he seen Inuyasha's ears twitch, and Hojo noticed a small child walk over and look up at the half-demon and the girl. The child spoke loud enough that Hojo could hear him, not taking into consideration the sensitive ears trained on him.

"Um... Doggie Man?"

"Whadaya want, Runt?"

"I'm scared, can I sleep with you?"

"I'm not sleeping."

"Can ya just keep me safe so I can sleep?"

"Crawl in bed with your parents, Kid."

Sniffle. "They... The monster got them, my older sister, too."

Silence.

Inuyasha jumped from the roof, and grabbed the kid, took the child up to the roof and sat him between he and Kagome. Then he took off his red robe, draped it around Kagome's and the kid's shoulders. Hojo barely caught Inuyasha mention "Fire Rat" and "keep you safe" to the kid. The boy snuggled into the robe, and into Kagome's side and was sleeping in minutes. About twenty minutes later, Kagome must have fallen asleep as well because Inuyasha put his arm around her to keep her (and the kid) from falling off the roof. Hojo drifted off thinking to himself "Maybe the fox is right, this is where Kagome belongs."

Just before sunrise, Inuyasha took the kid and Kagome (both were still sleeping) to the ground and made sure they were wrapped warmly in the robe. He then went to the clearing that was created by the wind scar. He found whatever trees laying on the ground that were salvageable for lumber, and brought them to the village and piled them up. He tried to be as quiet as possible, but some of the villagers were starting to stir. He knew they used most of their food last night, so he went further from the village and found a small heard of deer. He got three smaller bucks and after cleaning them, returned to the village with the carcasses. He was sure that besides the meat, the leather would be appreciated as well. The main storehouse was destroyed during the attack and it was too late in the season to restock enough to last the winter. Hopefully the villagers would be able to trade for rice and other grains, but they didn't have much to trade for their needed supplies.

When Hojo woke, the village was already very busy. They had a lot of work to do, and all were doing their part. He caught the scent from the cooking fires of roasting meat, and his stomach growled. He was able to see every member of their group, except the silver-haired one. He walked over to Miroku, who was closest to him, and asked. "Where is Inuyasha? Did he go on without us?"

"No, he is trying to hunt down more food for the villagers, they don't have enough food for the winter. And the last hunting party that went out brought back the demon. When I awoke this morning he had already brought three deer, seven rabbits, and a boar. It's a shame he can't hunt down some rice."

"How would they get enough? Are there markets?"

"If they are lucky, they can trade some meat for grains. But they still have to make sure they have enough meat for themselves. Sadly, there are less people to feed than there would have been. I think Inuyasha may be planning on fishing before we go. Fish are easier to preserve."

"Last night he seemed in such a hurry to go first thing in the morning."

"When I got up, I noticed one of the village children sleeping wrapped in his fire rat robe. Inuyasha was fending for himself at a very young age, and he knows what it feels like to go hungry. I think the child found a soft spot in our friend's gruff exterior."

It was then that Shippo decided to enter the conversation and offer his two cents. "He never goes hungry now, he would eat all the ramen in the world if Kagome could fit it all in her backpack."

"They really look out for each other, don't they?"

Miroku, with a devilish grin, turned to Hojo. "You wouldn't happen to have... feelings for our young priestess, would you?"

Hojo did not give Miroku the embarrassed reaction he wanted, but just answered honestly. "I have known her since the first day we went to school, how can I not have developed affection for her. Kagome is a very likeable, and special, girl. Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't have feelings for her if you weren't so focused on Sango's backside?"

Miroku just sputtered a little, but Hojo continued on. "I see now that I would have never had her heart, though. She belongs here, by Inuyasha's side. That is obvious to me now." Hojo looked thoughtful for a second, then blankly asked "Tell me more about Kikyo? Why does she hate Kagome so when everyone else seems to adore her?"

"Ah, Kikyo is a complicated subject my friend. Naraku, who we have been hunting as a group but I have been hunting since I was old enough to go out on my own, is the epitome of deceit. Not only did he curse my family with the Wind Tunnel, which will eventually be my end unless I can kill him and remove the curse, he turned Kikyo and Inuyasha against each other and led to Kikyo's death. Kikyo thought that is was Inuyasha that landed the killing blow, while it was Naraku in disguise. She died without knowing the truth, and pinned Inuyasha to the Sacred Tree with a sacred arrow before she passed on. When she was resurrected, she still blamed Inuyasha for her death. Her goal was to drag Inuyasha to hell with her. Even thinking that he killed her, she was unable to kill him and put him in a state of suspended animation instead. When Kagome was first dragged through the well, that was how she found him. I am not really sure of all the details, because I was not a part of the group until later on, but Kagome's presence somehow woke Inuyasha and Kagome, being Kikyo's reincarnation, was able to remove the arrow. I would say Kikyo is jealous of Kagome for many reasons, but mainly because she is alive and close to Inuyasha, in the place where Kikyo originally wanted to be. I really don't know what else to tell you, and it isn't my story to tell."

Miroku got up, and walked over to Sango who was helping with breakfast. It wasn't long after that a loud slap and yell of "Pervert!" was heard.


	7. Chapter 7

Inuyasha returned twice more with food. He brought about two dozen quail the first time and a very large bundle of fish the second. The villagers were so thankful, they tried to get him to stay longer but he said they had stuff they had to get done. When they set out again, Hojo was thankfully on Shippo rather than Kirara. There were still no seatbelts, but there were no flames and it was a much more relaxed ride.

About two hours after they set out, Kagome sensed a jewel shard. They immediately set out after it. As it got closer, it turned into two jewel shards. For some reason, this seemed to have Inuyasha very upset. The rest of the party landed to see what they were going to do. Kagome was asking Inuyasha what they had to lose by "asking him". Hojo wasn't sure who they were going to ask what, but he thought he was sure to find out soon. Shippo came to stand at his side. "Now we're in for some enternainment, these two are always fightin' over Kagome. Expect a 'sit' soon, it's usually the only way she can break them up."

Hojo could only describe it as a dust tornado, and it was approaching at an alarming speed. It was heading right fir Kagome. He wanted to jump in front of Kagome to protect her, but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Miroku, who just looked at him with an annoyed expression and said "Just let it go so we can get it over with." When the tornado stopped and the dust cleared, there was a tall man standing in front of Kagome with her hands in his. "So how is my woman? Your ankle, Kagome, are you alright? You are supposed to keep her safe, Mutt!"

With that the man turned and got right in Inuyasha's face. They started shouting back and forth.

"She is not your woman!"

"What, you think she is going to be yours, Half Breed?"

"Don't call me that, Flea Bag!"

"You're the one who has fleas for friends, don't call me a Flea Bag!"

"Okay, Stupid!"

"Don't call me Stupid, either!"

"GUYS! Please stop arguing! Koga, I need to ask you something..." Kagome waited for Inuyasha to speak up and tell her no, but he couldn't while he was holding his breath and his face was all red like it was. She knew the explosion was coming soon, especially with the satisfied smirk on Koga's face from being addressed by Kagome.

"Have you heard of any jewel shards nearby? We really need one, today." She hoped that she wouldn't have to ask him about his jewel shards, but she also didn't want to upset Inuyasha too bad.

Some normal color started returning to Inuyasha's face, but she could tell the yell was just waiting to come out of his mouth. Koga, of course, didn't help with the delicate mood situation. "Babe, you know I am going to be the one to kill that bastard, might as well let me do it. If I can get more jewel shards, it would be like a walk in the meadow."

Well, she would have to explain it to him. Koga seemed to just be noticing Hojo, and when he found out that he was from Kagome's home he made sure to vocalize his claim on her to him. In the middle of the explanation, Ginta and Hakkaku finally caught up and stood panting behind Koga after saying some quick hello's to their "sister" Kagome. Kagome had explained to the trio about her and Hojo falling through the well, and now they were unable to get Hojo back to his own time because the well wouldn't work without a shard. Koga never once offered any of his own shards, but Ginta mentioned that they had heard of a boar demon that was doing all sorts of damage. They had been on their way to check it out when they came across Kagome's scent, and Koga changed course to "check on his woman".

Inuyasha, in all his grumpy and impatient glory, decided the sooner the better to go find the shard. "Let's get moving then, we don't have all day. The sooner we get the shard the sooner Jojo can get home."

"I'm not sharing my jewel shard with you, Dog Breath! I am going to get it and I am going to keep it. I didn't come all this way for nothin'!" And with that, the twister appeared and Koga was gone. After a quick goodbye, Hakkaku and Ginta took off after the wolf demon.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a smirk, "Yeah, offered up one of his jewel shards to help his woman right away. How noble of him, eh?"

They all took off in the direction Koga went trying to get to the jewel shard first.

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I have been very busy and not feeling very creative. I will try to finish this story up quickly._


End file.
